Happy Birthday Canada!
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
On July 1st, 1867 the British North America Act formed the Dominion of Canada, and a new nation was born.
In this issue we send out a Happy Canada Day to all Canadians everywhere, especially to our fellow Canucks right here in Japan. We have quite a few of those Canadians within F.I.A. including yours truly, our much beloved editor.
We Canadians are as patriotic as any other nationality and Canada gives us an opportunity to celebrate our culture and heritage in a loud, boisterous and chest-thumping manner, not to mention a lot of eating, drinking (or other intoxicating fun) and tons of fireworks!
We salute the nation that has given the world such things as ice hockey, the Canada Arm, insulin, the telephone, Superman, the pace maker, bowling, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, the light bulb (Henry Woodward, 1874), the goalie mask, kerosene, basketball, the wireless radio and the zipper (which far too many of us forget to close). Canadians have made many contributions to the world.
Happy 142nd Birthday!
Canadian, Eh?
Every year, literally thousands of people apply to immigrate to Canada. Most will succeed in this endeavor, as Canada has some of the most lenient citizenship laws in the world . So, do you think you have what it takes to be a Canadian? Then accept the challenge of the F.I.A. Monthly Canadian Citizenship Test and see how much you really know about the Great White North.
General Knowledge
- What is Canada's population?
- How many provinces and territories does Canada have?
- What are Canada's two official languages?
- Who is Canada's current Prime Minister?
- What is the national symbol of Canada?
- What is the national animal of Canada?
Politics
- Who is Canada’s Head of State?
- Who is Canada's current Prime Minister?
- How many national political parties does Canada have?
- Which party forms the current government?
Canadian Lingo
- What is poutine?
- What is a tuque?
- What is a chesterfield?
- What is a hoser?
- What is a Canuck?
Sports
- What are Canada's two official sports?
- Which two Canadian NHL teams were members of the Original Six?
- How many other NHL teams does Canada have?
- Who is Don Cherry?
- Who was famous for wearing number 99?
- What MLB teams has Canada had?
- Which NBA teams has Canada had?
- Who are the Roughriders?
History
- Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?
- Which was the first European culture to arrive in Canada?
- Which four provinces formed Canada during Confederation?
- Where is the Canadian WWI memorial?
Entertainment
- Who wrote Anne of Green Gables?
- What is the Canadian version of Sesame Street called?
- Who are the Raccoons?
- How many members are there in the Kids in the Hall?
- Of Kiefer Sutherland, Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek or Phil Hartman, which one wasn't born in Canada?
Editor’s Note: Canadians who fail this test will have their citizenship revoked! Editor’s Note: This issue meets the CBC’s Canadian Content Requirement!
A Day in the Life of an Adventure School Counselor
Could you describe a normal day for an AS counselor?
A normal day starts at 8:00 with a staff meeting to discuss any questions or problems that any of us have. After the meeting we start on daily emails to our participants. Each counselor has about 9 participants assigned to them. The participants are required to send daily emails to their respective counselors so we reply to their emails on a daily basis. During the day we have face to face and Skype meetings with our participants. My meetings last between one and two hours depending on the level of the participant. During a meeting we discuss many things such AS goals, projects, and how they are progressing through the program. I have my meetings at the AS office or another location in the city. The usual work day ends around 5:00 pending any major daily problems.
Who are the other counselors you are working with?
I work with 2 other AS counselors here and I also worked with Hiroaki Nishi who works as the Yazaki Liason officer in the Personnel Department of Yazaki. Christine Jones is the veteran counselor here and she keeps the office running smoothly and deals with all our questions. Vionna Crowe is the other counselor who is counseling the current 2008/9 participants.
What are the AS participants like?
Like OJT students, the AS participants vary in communicative ability, desire to learn and level of creativity. Generally, the participants have just graduated from University with varying majors such as engineering, sciences, mathematics, and environmental studies. Some participants have lived overseas and some have never left Japan. TOEIC scores vary from 200 to 600 points.
What are some of the best parts of the job for you?
One of the most interesting parts was picking up the participants at the airport. When they walk out of the international gate their eyes are a bit glazed over and they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. “laughing” They are entering an all English environment and are stepping out of their comfort zone. Another great part is seeing a student blossom and really take control and give their absolute best. This program is a real challenge for all the participants and in some cases it is a chance for the participants to find their true selves and abilities.
What are some of the more difficult part of the job for you?
It is a big challenge to change from the OJT classroom philosophy to AS philosophy. One of the main points of AS is to create independent, free thinking, and creative students. A student asked me “How is the weather in Australia?” In the OJT class you might answer their questions and build a lesson on that. In AS you might answer, “That is a good question! Where can you find that information?” It was really difficult at first and I was worried the students would get angry that I would not answer their questions but I slowly learned how to approach it and get the student thinking for themselves. So next time your OJT student asks “What is the difference between `a` and `the`?” Ask them what they think the difference is.
One other difficulty is problems that arise between the Home Stay Families and the participant. Everyone has different personalities, communication levels and characters and sometimes problems arise. I try my best to work with both the families and the students in thinking of ways to work together and work out their issues.
By Brian
Editor's Note: This issue meets the CBC's Canadian Content Requirement!
